n the 1990s, thousands of Salvadoran nationals living illegally in the U.S. were deported to their homeland. Some took Los Angeles gang culture with them. This Wide Angle report documents six months spent inside the transnational gang known as "18"-a Salvadoran permutation of L.A.'s notorious 18th Street gang. Following teenage "homeboys" as they patrol their turf in the streets of San Salvador, the program details the inner workings of 18-initiating would-be members through violent beatings, organizing support for friends in need, orchestrating gang activity behind prison walls, waging endless warfare against its enemies, and putting El Salvador high on the list of the most violent and crime-ridden countries in the world. The program also features anchor Daljit Dhaliwal discussing U.S. anti-gang efforts and deportation policy with Anne W. Patterson, Assistant Secretary of State for Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.